Live Stream: Jeffrey Sayle Funeral Service

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Today represents a hugely significant day in the history of our club, having to farewell the giant figure that is Jeffrey Leonard Sayle OAM.

It’s a responsibility that weighs very heavily on us all and extraordinary efforts have been made to ensure the day is a fitting tribute to a man that is the heart and soul of our club, a legend in our district and rugby in general.

We want his last day in Coogee to be special, as he wanted to spend it there with us.

In summary here are the key timelines and information for the day to achieve that:

1. Funeral Service: Friday October 11, 10.30am at St Brigid’s Church, Brook St Coogee.
2. Tribute March to Coogee Oval. Approx. 12.10pm
3. Private Cremation at Botany.
4. Wake: from 1pm at the Coogee Bay Hotel – Selina’s Bar.
5. Jeffrey’s Wish: How to donate to the Randwick Rugby Junior Academy.

Following is broader details on each of these services and events:

Funeral Service: St Brigid’s Church Coogee at 10.30am. Friday October 11.

Aside from a wearing a hint of Myrtle Green, Jeffrey’s main wish was for his service to be held at his parish church St Brigid’s – just up the road from his beloved Coogee Oval.

We all appreciate that the church is not big enough to hold the potential number of mourners that he will attract, but St Brigid’s has significant sentimental value to Sayley.

Therefore, we are doing our best to ensure everyone has the opportunity to pay their respects in some fashion and also honour his wishes as follows:

• The service will start at 10.30am and will be a full Catholic Requiem Mass and is expected to conclude no later than 12 noon.
• The church has a capacity of 400 people and a number of rows at the front are reserved for family, close friends, distinguished guests and service participants. Please respect the directions of the funeral staff once capacity is reached.
• The adjacent parish hall seats 180 people where audio of the service will be played.
• The remainder of the mourners will have to be outside the church on Brook St, where audio will be played with a number of speakers set up.
• Brook St between Carr and Dudley St’s will be blocked off from 10.00am-12.30pm to ensure everyone’s safety.
• The funeral service will also be videoed for those unable to attend or are overseas and will be able to be watched on delay, 2 hours after the conclusion of the service.
• We will advise the relevant telecast link and instructions on how to access it on the club website, Facebook page and via email ASAP this afternoon.

We can control a lot of things but we can’t control the weather – so here’s hoping it’s a nice day and the forecast for rain changes. If not then come prepared.

Tribute March to Coogee Oval: Approx.12.10pm

At the conclusion of the Funeral Service everyone is invited to march down Brook St to Coogee Oval with Jeffrey to visit ‘mother earth’ for the final time. Brook St from the church to the oval will be blocked off to enable this to occur safely by NSW Police.

The march will be led by NSW Police motorcycle escort, an Armed Services Band, a Coogee Surf Club Boat and his hearse will be directly followed by Randwick players, coaches, officials and old boys. The remainder of mourners capable to do so are then invited to follow behind the players on this pilgrimage down Brook St.

After a lap of honour our players will then perform a traditional Randwick Rugby send off to Jeffrey. The crowd will be asked to provide a standing ovation from the stands as he passes.

The cortege will then make a brief stop at the Coogee Surf Lifesaving Club for its members to pay their own respects, before departing for a private cremation service at Botany.

We sincerely thank NSW Police and Randwick City Council for their huge logistical efforts to enable all these road closures for the funeral and march for this amazing tribute to happen.

Private Cremation. This is by invite only so no further details are required to be given.

The Wake/Post Match Celebration: 1pm at Coogee Bay Hotel – Selina’s Bar.

After the funeral service and tribute march we will gather at the Coogee Bay Hotel to celebrate the wonderful life and times of Jeffrey. It will include photo and video tributes, some speeches and maybe even a panel discussion with rugby greats

Please enter the hotel via the Beer Garden entrance on Arden St. Selina’s is the primary venue but we will also utilise adjourning bars and the beer garden to fit everyone in if required.

Here we ask for your understanding as it is almost impossible to know how many people will attend and how to adequately cater for this without running up the state debt. Finger food will be provided and once Jeffrey’s shout is exhausted a cash bar will operate.

Again, on the licensed hotel premises please respect the direction of their staff.

Jeffrey’s Wish.

In lieu of sending flowers Jeffrey would love you donate to help fund the ongoing operation of his beloved Randwick Rugby Junior Academy.

To donate via credit card online and send a message of sympathy simply click here.

In Summary.

No doubt it will be a sad day to farewell our patron and such an icon like Jeffrey, but we also want to make it a joyous celebration accessible to all.

As you can see there are many activities associated with a day of this magnitude to make it BEAUTIFUL, so please be patient and follow instructions if and when required.

We look forward to seeing you there and once again send our deepest sympathies to his sisters Janette and Pam, family and close friends. RIP Sayley!

Up the Wicks!

Kind Regards

Mark Harrison